Method of welding



Feb. 9, 1932, A M QANDY 1,844,498

METHOD 0F WELDING Filed Nov. l. 1926 g a O 1759.5. j M VI q J1 3 E LL i f f \l u l IVI WITNESSES: & INVEN'TOR ggraw A/bgmmcgnC/y Y @MM Tom Patented Feb. 9., 14932 I 1,0 lock welded beam an ing moment whic UNITED js'rzxsras PATENT OFFICE ALBERT I. CAN'DY, 0F 'WILKINSBURQ PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & HANUFAUIUBING COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA IETHOD OF WELDING Application med November My invention relates to building construction and especially to improvements -for interlocking a column or upright with a girder or beam engaging therewith.

An object of m invention is to improve both the method o joining beams and the finlshed joint between beams, to effect savings in the time employed and the cost of material.

Another objectof m invention is to intercolumn members by inserting what I call continuity plates between the flanges of the column member t0 form a continuation of the flanges of the beam or girder member, the advantages of such continuity plates being peculiar to welded constructions wherein the parts are molecularly integral.

A further object of my invention is to strengthen the web members of the joint to the end that/the full stren h of the column and beam sections may be eveloped.

It is customary, in the assembly of structui/al steel parts, to unite beam and column members b means yof angle irons riveted thereto. owever, under the condition of heavy loading it has been found that the angle iron forming the 'oint is subjected to a bendh tends either to close or to open up the angle member, depending on its position in the joint.

The disengagement of the abutting members resulting from a partial or complete buckling of the angle irons causes a serious -loss in joint rigidity as well as an inefficient utilization of the material in the affected structural members.

Attempts haverbeen made to overcome the above-mentioned objections by devising means for interlocking the riveted members. All such structures, however, have proved either too costly or too cumbersome to war- 1, 1826. Serial No. 145,481.

is designed, While the portions of the beam where there are no joints are of excessive strength for the purpose contemplated. As a consequence, all of the members of riveted steel structures do not work at their full capacity. l

My invention relates to'methods 0f, and means for, overcoming t-he foregoing and other difficulties heretofore experienced by the skilled workers of the art, as will be more particularly pointed out in the following detailed description and in the claims appended hereto, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a butt welded beam-column joint;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the construction shown in Fig. 1 after it has been loaded to failure;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on t'he line III-III 70 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my improved welded and reinforced joint construction;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of my joint construction shown in Fig. 4 after the members have been loaded to failure; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

In the embodiment of my invention shown inthe drawing, my new means of reinforcement, which I call continuity plates are shown at 1 and 2, in Fig. 4, the said plates being fillet welded to the flanges 3 and 4. and to the web`5 of an H-beam column 6.

The continuity plates ust mentioned are disf shown) are Welded to the'opposite sides of 9 the web 5 and to the flanges 3 and 4, in the planes of they flanges 7, 8 and 9, 10. The continuity plates 1, 2 and the beams 11 and 12 are united with the web and flanges of the column 6 to form an integral unit by arcwelding the abutting edges in a manner well i is tested to destruction, failure occurs by the4 gradual and extended distortion of the horizontal beam members, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, showing that the welded joint is stronger than the other parts of the structure.

The performance of a structural steel unit according to my invention contrasts with the failure of riveted constructions, where an actual shearing of the rivets and a tearing of the angle-irons causes a premature failure of the joint before the limit of strength of the rest of the structure isl reached.

To avoid the objectionable characteristics of riveted structures, it has been proposed, in the past, to weld abutting beam and column members together. The welded joints of the prior art, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, difer from'my improved jloint in omitting my continuity plates 1 an 2.

Joints that I have prepared in the old manner, shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, have been found to possess increased rigidit and carrying power over that obtained w1th riveted designs, because of the fact that, in riveted construction, the clearance usually allowed in the rivet holes and the fiexure of t-he metal of the angle plate will prevent the abuttingl tures of the rior art are subjected to destructive loads, ailure ultimately occurs by the buckling of the web section of the column, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, so that, even in this construction, the 'oint is not suiiiciently rigid to achieve the esired eiiicient utilization .of the main portions of the beam members.

A demonstration of the relative merits of the old and new designs shown in Figs. 1 and 4, respectively, was made at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pa., on July 28, 1926, before a group of constructors, architects and engineers. The H columns used were 8 inches deep, 32 pounds per foot, 2 feet high, while the Bethlehem I beams were 9 inches deep, 20.5 pounds per foot 3 feet long. The continuity plates utilized in the new design were 6% long, 3

wide :md5/8 thick. For test purposes, a compression load was applied to the column with the beams supported on blocks spaced 6 21/2 apart.

The new structure shown in Fig. 4, employing continuity plates in Aaccordance with my invention, failed at a; loading of 70,000 pounds, whereas the structure without the continuity plates failed at a loading of 50,- 000 pounds showing that a 40% increase in strength was obtained by employing my four small continuity plates.

No distortion of the joint was apparent in the structure having continuity plates, failure occurring by the twisting of the web of the horizontal beam members, substantially as shown in-Figs. 5 and 6. However, in the case of the joint in which continuity plates were not used, failure occurred in the joint section, by the buckling of the web of the vertical column, substantlally as shown in Figs. 2 and 8. By the use of continuity plates I am able, therefore, to secure a joint between structural members of such a nature that any part thereof is stronger than the individual members.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that various changes may be made within the scope thereof without departing from the principles herein set forth.

For instance, while the construction that I have shown relates to al single column or upright having several beams or girders attached in abutting engagement therewith, m invention may be applied, with equal e ectiveness, to an oppositely disposed column or upright and to the opposite end of a connecting girder or beam.

Furthermore, while I have illustrated the principles of my invention as applied to a. stress-transfer fromP the flanges of H and I beams, it is to be understood that the beams employed are byno means limited to'the shapes just mentioned, and the expression flanged-means in some of the appended claims is intended to designate generically any usual structural beam, including H and I beams, channel irons, angle and T irons. Similarly, when Irefer, for convenience in expression, to columns and horizontal beams, I refer only to the relative positions of the several parts with respect to each other and to the loads carried thereby, which are assumed to be in a vertical direction, as it is obvious that I am not limited to any particular inclination with reference to the direction of gravity.

I claim as' my invention:

il 1. A metallic-joint construction comprising an upright provided with vertical flanges and a connecting web and a beam abutting one of said flanges provided with horizontal flanges and a connecting web, a lillet weld connection between said beam and said upright along the edges ofthe contacting ortions thereof, reinforcing members exten ing between said vertical flanges in alinement with said horizontal lianges and a fillet-weld connection between said upright and the contacting edges of said reinforcing members.

2. In building construction, a plurality of metallic flanged beams, portions of two or more of said beams havingmutual surfacecontacting portions joined along the edge of said contacting portions and a plurality of reinforcing members inserted .between the flanges of one of said beams and welded f thereto in alinement with the flanges of the abutting beams whereby the reinforcing members will oppose the distortion of the beam in which they are mounted whether they are subjected to compressive or tensile stresses. I

3. In a metallic-joint construction, an angle-sectioned beam comprising a web having a flange at one side thereof, a second anglesectional beam comprising a web having a flange at each side thereof, said second beam abutting the face of the flange of said first beam, with the webs of the two beams in the same plane, a tension plate and a compression plate disposed'in the angleof the first .beam between the web and the flange thereof,

the said tension plate being in substantial alignment with one flange of the second beam,

and the said compression plate being in substantial alignment with the other flange of the second beam, and welded joints integrally uniting the several contacting parts. 4. The combination with an upright having a vertical web portion and two vertical .flanges at the sides thereof, of two horizontal beams abutting against the outer surfaces of the two flanges of the upright and integrally joined thereto, said beams lying in substantially' the same horizontal plane and each comprising a vertical web portion and top and bottom horizontal flanges, and one or vmore tension plates interposed between the flanges of said upright and integrally united to said flanges of the upright in substantiallythe plane of the top flanges of the said horizontal beams, and one or more compression plates interposed between the anges of said upright and integrally united to said flanges of the upright in substantially the plane of ltOle lower flanges of the said horizontal mem- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th day of October,

ALBERT M. CANDY. 

